Drone tech could build defence industry: Home Minister

The use of drone technology along Bangladesh’s borders is not limited to surveillance and could eventually help lay the foundation for the country’s defence industry, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Tuesday.

“We are assembling and manufacturing these drones ourselves here, and in the future, this could develop into a defence industry for us,” he said.

The minister made the remarks while inaugurating the Border School of Surveillance and Drone Warfare in Sylhet.

Salahuddin said thermal and night-mission-capable drones are being deployed in remote and difficult-to-monitor border areas where direct surveillance by personnel is challenging.

The technology will help detect smuggling, drug and arms trafficking, human trafficking and illegal crossings, allowing authorities to respond immediately, he said.

He added that the technology has already been successfully tested in remote areas along the Bay of Bengal and the Bangladesh-India border.

The new training centre will provide BGB personnel with training in drone operations and digital surveillance technologies.

The minister said Bangladesh aims to introduce more advanced drones over the next one to two years.

He also noted that drones could play an effective role in delivering relief and conducting rescue operations in remote areas. The BGB has already used the technology in disaster response, he added.